How to improvise by Hal Crook

[6stringbassist]

Just got this a few days ago, what a great book.

Its been used at Berkeley in the improvisation classes for about 20 years.

Highly recommended.

[Oscar South]

I personally don't like the idea of academic approaches to learning improvisation (aside from more technical Jazz improvisation which is really psudo-improv), out of interrest what kind of approach does this book take?

[Mikey D]

This is probably one of the best books on improvisation I have read. Personally I love academic approaches to improvisation! It gives you a structured way of working through material and sounds that you want in your playing, rather than just playing and hoping something good comes out.

His comping book is also excellent. Actually, all his books are.

[Mikey D]

Also, he has a lot of playalongs you can download for free to practice with:

[url="http://learningresources.berklee.edu/public/pfd/"]Hal Crook Playalongs[/url]

[Oscar South]

Theres nothing specifically wrong with academic approaches to improvising, apart from in a lot of cases people end up sounding almost the same as every other academically trained improviser.

[Josh]

[quote name='Mikey D' post='237910' date='Jul 12 2008, 01:14 PM']Also, he has a lot of playalongs you can download for free to practice with:

[url="http://learningresources.berklee.edu/public/pfd/"]Hal Crook Playalongs[/url][/quote]

That is pretty helpful, though I'm a bit confused with the sheet music, is that what's being played and is highlighting the notes that I can use or am I confused?

[Mikey D]

The sheet music is for the tune/head/melody. The highlighted notes are the guidetones.

I think it is good you can chose the clef to read and also the ability to remove the bass part from the audio.

[inyabass]

A book on "How to improvise".. Isn't that a contradiction in terms?

From Wikipedia

"Improvisation (also called extemporization) is the practice of acting, singing, talking and reacting, of making and creating, in the moment and in response to the stimulus of one's immediate environment."

If you can teach that in a book I'd be surprised and interested :-)

[urb]

[quote name='inyabass' post='240718' date='Jul 16 2008, 11:19 AM']A book on "How to improvise".. Isn't that a contradiction in terms?

From Wikipedia

"Improvisation (also called extemporization) is the practice of acting, singing, talking and reacting, of making and creating, in the moment and in response to the stimulus of one's immediate environment."

If you can teach that in a book I'd be surprised and interested :-)[/quote]

The thing with any form of improvising - acting, singing, talking - is having the 'vocabulary' to do that with wit, timing, taste, appropriateness etc etc - some people are natural improvisors... but for the rest of us there are books, music courses, DVDs, CDs and a ton of transcribing that can all help you devlop your vocabulary. Once you are fluent in the particular 'language' you want to 'speak' (or play) - then you can do it freely and without much thought - then you will be able to "create, in the moment, responding to the stimulus of one's immediate environment." And you will be able to do this without thinking at all - spontaneously letting the music guide you.

So yes - a book that explains this will help you be able to do this.

Mike

[Bilbo]

As URB has implied - improvisation is, like all music, about communication. In order to communicate in a language, you need to get a grip of its rules; grammar, vocabulary, syntax etc. We have all done it with the English language if nothing else. As a result, if anyone starts a conversation (the most natural form of improvisation), we can all take part. For example, if someone starts a conversation about fish, we call all say something pertinent about fish but no-one will know at anytime what anyone is going to say next. Some people will say very little; 'I like fish;. Some will be very intellectual 'I like eating fish because they contain OMEGA 3 oils that help reduce choloestrol'. Some will be funny; 'three fish walked into a bar...'; others abstract; 'I think my ex-wife was a fish'. Despite the varied responses, they are all subject to some form of agreed and, to a degree, pre-determined structure, in this case, teh English language.

Improvised music is the same. If you play a blues in Bb, you can play anything you like as long as you can relate it to the 'mother' key. John Coltrane would play something very different to Stevie Ray Vaughan, who would play something very different to Keith Jarrett, who would play something very different to Evan Parker, who would play something very different to you, who would play something very different to me. But it would all be related to the key of Bb, even if that relationship is to ignore it in order to create tension. Just like there are great speakers, there are great improvising musicians; Bach was one - its not a skill that is confined to jazz.

Lets get this straight: improvisation is not about making stuff up spontaneously out of nowhere. It is not 'playing what you feel' - anyone who actually beleves that knows nothing about improvising. It is engaging in a process of communication with other players and with the audience that has form, logic and depth. It is hard to do well but immensely rewarding when you get it right.

[6stringbassist]

[quote name='inyabass' post='240718' date='Jul 16 2008, 11:19 AM']A book on "How to improvise".. Isn't that a contradiction in terms?

From Wikipedia

"Improvisation (also called extemporization) is the practice of acting, singing, talking and reacting, of making and creating, in the moment and in response to the stimulus of one's immediate environment."

If you can teach that in a book I'd be surprised and interested :-)[/quote]

It's not teaching you how to improvise, it gives an incredible amount of knowledge that you need to know in order to be able to improvise at an advanced level.

It's not a 'riff book'.

[Alun]

[quote name='Oscar South' post='238013' date='Jul 12 2008, 03:46 PM']Theres nothing specifically wrong with academic approaches to improvising, apart from in a lot of cases people end up sounding almost the same as every other academically trained improviser.[/quote]

This can be true, but is more down to , IMO, lack of imagination on behalf of the student. Too often players get caught up in playing the "hip" notes and spiral off into altered tones and symmetrical scales without paying attention to melody or creating something unique.

Cheers
Alun

[The Funk]

[quote name='bilbo230763' post='240802' date='Jul 16 2008, 12:54 PM']It is not 'playing what you feel' - anyone who actually beleves that knows nothing about improvising.[/quote]

I agree with everything you've said apart from this. An accomplished improviser will usually set out to express a certain feeling in the solo/jam. Obviously the range of feelings available to the improviser will be limited by the song and other instruments, but in a way it is playing what you feel (or tapping into what you once felt).